


Love and Fear

by EzriHinterland04



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Fantasy, I will add more tags as I go on., Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-27 02:30:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21111206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzriHinterland04/pseuds/EzriHinterland04
Summary: Jenna always gets excited for Snake Lake Camp's annual Capture the Flag Game. Since she is now Team Captian, she is determined to obtain victory. During the game, Jenna and her friends stumble onto a hidden world where they run into Sellers who separate them. Jenna and her friends try to survive and make their way back to each other so they can figure out the mystery behind their families, the dark poison that threatens the hidden world and their own, and the concealed powers that awakened within them. Jenna must learn that she cannot do everything on her own and she must choose which is better for her to build a following: love or fear?





	Love and Fear

**Author's Note:**

> Hey friends, it's Ezri! I have written on Archive before but it has been a while. I tried out fanfiction but it wasn't really that good! :D (Check 'em out if you want)  
I wanted to try something new with original work and I wanted to see if this works out. I LOVE reading comments so leave some if you want! Just to let you readers know, English is not my first language so please let me know if I used a word wrong or something.  
This is a work in progress and I hope you like it!

Jenna  
Chapter One: The Five of Us

I had been waiting for this day for a month now. I believe the rest of them had too. The Blue Team, the Blue Racer Vipers some campers called us, prepared long and hard to overcome the Red Team, or as they called themselves, the Bloody Pythons. Most of the members of the Vipers were runners; in Cross Country or Track. Their bodies lithe and swift, able to maneuver quickly throughout the woods as if it were just another afternoon jog. The Pythons, however, were more brawny. Fast, yes, but not quite as fast as the Blue Racer Vipers! I heard that some Pythons were football players and wrestlers, which kind of unsettled some of the Vipers. In years past, the Pythons have been known to be a bit too aggressive when it came to the Annual Capture the Flag.  
The Vipers were ready. As their Captain, I made sure of that from Day One. When the teenagers came to camp back in July, I started them out on a four-mile run every day starting at seven in the morning. I had them sprint two miles at eleven, jog three at four in the afternoon, then held an extensive dodgeball game after dinner that lasted until Lights Out. Some thought that my training schedule was brutal, but I was determined to get a victory this year.  
The defeat from the previous year still weighed on me like a car on a ketchup packet! It had been so close! My squad had spotted the flag pinned to a tree nearly 60 meters from the borderline! We already had Pythons on our trail so we needed to hurry. I sent a fourteen-year-old girl up the tree to retrieve the bright orange piece of cloth, knowing she was the best climber but the slowest on the squad. My plan was to create a diversion while she crossed the line. The Pythons were not fooled. They tagged, more like tackled, the girl mere steps away from victory after successfully tagging me and the rest of my squad. We had worked so hard….  
Despite the defeat, the Vipers named me the new Captain! They told me it was because my plan was awesome and loved how I didn’t try to take all the glory for myself and instead gave it to the fourteen-year-old girl, (her name was Vanessa.) I was determined to give the Vipers a crushing victory!  
The day arrived for the game. I woke up at five in the morning to go over all the information and plan my team had come up with. I knew it was a moot point anyway; we had been planning for a month! I sighed and decided to go for a run before I woke up the Vipers.  
The day was decent for Capture the Flag. Warm, but not hot and there was no wind. It must have rained the night before since my feet nearly slipped from the dew on the grass. We would have to be careful not to slip on the damp earth while we ran. I was so overjoyed to have so much of the woods for our game! Last year we only had 10 acres. They since bumped it up to nearly 2 miles of woods! Of course, there are referees and rangers out there to keep us safe and in line. There were many hiking paths that interweaved with each other like a giant spider web waiting for a lonely fly to get lost. Too bad I knew these woods like the back of my hand! Not today, Spider!  
When I was fully satiated with my morning run, I decided to wake up some reliable members of the Blue Racer Vipers! This, of course, meant breaking a small rule. I needed to sneak into the boys’ cabin. Obviously, I have done this several times before to wake up my team before seven to run, but I was always careful. I went to wake up my brothers first. My older brother, Jayden, was the hardest to wake up so I went to him first. As usual, he lay in his bunk with an arm hanging over the edge and some drool pooling on his pillow. It smelled like dead something in the cabin! How could they even stand it? The bunks lined the walls on the two sides of the long room which left space for the three wooden tables to be placed in the middle of the floor. At one end of the cabin were the bathrooms and showers, and the other was the entrance. Jayden’s bunk was close to the entrance, thank goodness, so we could sneak in and out without waking the snoring teenager boys.  
I pinched Jayden’s bare shoulder. He grunted and stirred. This was the standard procedure for waking up the giant. His eyes flitted open and saw me. At once, he sat up and gave me a serious nod. He must have come to the realization that it was C.T.F.D. in his sleepy state. I snuck back outside to give him a minute or two to get dressed. I took in the lovely scenery. The birds chirping and the woodpeckers pecking added to the peaceful camp we had. I had been apart of Snake Lake Camp since I was 10. My uncle owned the camp and let us come over as much as we liked as kids. We officially joined when we reached the required age of 10. Even though the required age to join the camp is 10, the required age of entering the Annual Capture the Flag game is 13. It was my younger brother’s first year as part of the Blue Racer Vipers. Jaxon was excited to finally be playing the game Jayden and I had been talking up for years.  
After a few minutes, three boys emerged from the cabin, Jayden, Jaxon, and my best friend Liam. Well, we have been friends for years but we don’t really hang with the Liam crowds. Our families have known each other far longer. We went to elementary and middle school together but fell apart after his family moved to Boston. Liam and his family come over to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan every summer to stay at Snake Lake with my uncle’s family.  
“Good morning,” Liam’s raspy morning voice made my face feel warmer. I smiled at him. His sandy blond hair was a mess.  
“Morning,” I mumbled. Jayden pushed by us and started a small jog. He still had a little bit of waking up to do. Jax, however, couldn’t help but be enthusiastic.  
“I just can’t believe it! I can’t BELIEVE it!” My attention snapped to my younger brother. He started to pace with a serious look on his face. “Those Pythons won't know what hit ‘em! Our plan is airtight!”  
“Will you shut up!” Jayden yelled over his shoulder. I shook my head. He was being just as loud. “Don’t be stupid.” The way he said that made me anxious. What was going on?  
Liam somehow knew what I was thinking and nudged me. “Jax decided that it would be a good idea to eavesdrop on a secret Python’s meeting again last night. If he doesn’t stop talking, he might accidentally let the plan slip to a Python without knowing. Jay and he had a big fight about it last night.”  
My jaw dropped. “You did what?” I hissed.  
Jaxon stopped muttering to himself and looked at me. He crossed his arms and frowned. “Not you too!” I raised an eyebrow. He sighed heavily. “If I didn’t spy on them, how would we know their plan, huh? I know that it’s cheating and that everyone takes this game so seriously, but c’mon! I got some juicy stuff last night! If you would all just listen-”  
“Stop,” I held a hand up to silence him. “You could have been disqualified! We need you today!”  
“I know!” he exclaimed. “But it’s ok! I didn’t get caught. And now I know that we are going to win today!”  
“Oh really?” Liam cut in. “What makes you say that?” I frowned. This is cheating, I thought. We could have been disqualified.  
Jax threw his hands in the air. “Well, thanks for finally asking! The Pythons are focusing on offense! They will only have one person guarding the flag! Well, they will have more people close by, but only one person will be close to the flag! And apparently, they are going to hide the flag somewhere near the caves!”  
“Will you shut up?” Jayden yelled again. He flipped around and stomped up to us, finger pointed behind us at the cabin. “Don’t you all realize that some Pythons are in there? Anyone of them could be listening right now!”  
“That’s a good point,” Liam concluded. “Let’s jog?”  
“Yeah,” I murmured. My mind was on what Jaxon said. If only one person is guarding the flag, then who was it? Who could the Python’s truly trust with such an important task? I gasped softly as I realized who the guard was. “Lydia,” I mumbled.  
Jaxon heard me and looked up from his feet with a serious look. He gave me a simple nod and I internally groaned. Lydia was our cousin. Her father, our uncle, owned this property and started this camp with our father. She has been a Python ever since we were 15 and we had a fight. She was the captain now. She took this game as seriously as I did. Maybe even more. I kept thinking about Lydia as I started to jog. I stayed behind Liam and Jaxon and stayed with Jayden.  
“Are you really that upset that Jax spied on the Python’s?” I asked in a low voice. We passed the rest of the cabins and made our way deeper into the woods. The trail was covered in gravel and wood chips that made crunching sounds as our feet connected with the ground. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jayden shake his head.  
“No, but it was still stupid. Why doesn’t he think about things before he does these things?” We kept our voices low.  
“Well, even though it was dumb, we still have some information about the Pythons.” I felt a little defensive. I knew that Jaxon did something really reckless, but Jayden was being a bit unfair to him. Jax took this game as seriously as we do. I could tell that Jax knew the risks.  
“So,” Jayden started. “You think it’s Lydia?”  
I didn’t answer but instead sped up. My brother’s snickers becoming quieter as I sped passed Liam and Jaxon.  
I made my way across the river and to the large dining hall. There seemed to be a warm glow seeping out of the wooden building. The air began to smell sweeter and feel warmer as if someone were baking fresh bread. The path led right up to the two front doors. I could hear the other’s approaching so I slowed to a walk and entered the dining hall.  
The air was warm engulfed me and I could feel the sweat on my hairline. I made it passed the lobby and the First Aid Office and stepped into a massive cafeteria with two long tables stretching the length of the room. Over one of the tables were blue banners with a silver snake coiled around itself baring its fangs at the adjacent table’s banners. That was the Python’s table. They decorated themselves with deep red banners with a python with its crowned head gearing up to bite. I hardly gave a glance around the room but I did notice that there were more decorations to celebrate the last week at camp. The walls were covered in posters of the different games we played this year, including some encouragements for this year’s Capture the Flag Game. There were already some campers at both tables enjoying an early breakfast before the game. I walked over to the buffet of food that lined the wall nearest the kitchen and grabbed two bowls and filled them with yogurt and oatmeal. I snagged an orange as well. I could feel Liam make his way down the buffet as well. I waited and we went to our usual spot together.  
“Wow,” I teased. “More food than usual, huh?”  
“Got to be nice and full today, don’t I?” I shrugged, taking a big bite of oatmeal. He smirked the kind of smirk that would leave some girls my age mystified. I tried not to be one of those girls. He looked up over my shoulder. “G’ morning Lydia.”  
My eyes went wide. I swallowed and turned to face my scowling cousin. Lydia’s arms were crossed over her chest and an eyebrow was raised in suspicion. My stomach dropped to my feet thinking that she somehow knew that Jax spied on the Python’s meeting.  
“Good morning, Liam.” Her voice was loud. She has always had a naturally loud presence about her. “I hope we can have a good game today.” Something about how she said that made me think that she was onto us.  
“Same here,” said Liam. I could feel the tension between them and I turned awkwardly back to my breakfast. I had plans to busy myself with peeling my orange. It was silent for what seemed like a minute. Lydia had not moved from where she was standing. I took a quick bite of my orange and juice fell down my chin.  
“I wish you’d come back to the Pythons, Liam. We really miss having you on the team.”  
There. She said the words.  
I could see Liam flinch from where he was sitting. His spoon dropped to the floor with some of his cereal still on it. I internally groaned. Why did she have to bring that up again? I set my spoon down in front of his bowl for him to use if he wanted to, (we weren’t concerned about germs.) Liam gave a little nervous laugh and grabbed my used spoon. He practically slammed it into his Frosted Flakes and took a huge spoonful into his mouth.  
“Yeah, well,” he spoke while he chewed. “Viper’s are a better fit for me.”  
“I miss you,” said Lydia, loud enough to send an uncomfortable chill down my spine. It was weird that my only cousin dated my best friend. It was even weirder that they broke up a few months prior and still kept it uncomfortable for others around them, especially me.  
I looked up at Liam with a pleading look and he met my eyes. Looking back at Lydia, he said, “Sorry you feel that way. Good luck today. See you at the flag.” He dug back into his cereal. I could hear Lydia storm off to the Python’s table.  
I watched Liam eat for a minute. “Are you alright?”  
He grunted. He didn’t say anything after that.  
Over the course of the hour, more and more campers woke up and made their way to the dining hall in boisterous excitement. The excitement wore well on everyone’s faces. Many Vipers came to me and exclaimed how that this was going to be a sure victory. I checked my wristwatch and saw that it was ten minutes to nine!  
“We got to go!” I jumped to my feet and dashed out the door, not checking to see if anyone followed. I sprinted to the Borderline. I whizzed passed trees and lept over fallen branches and shrubs. I saw the field ahead and I slowed my pace. That was where the Flag Ceremony would take place. The referees and rangers were already there talking amongst themselves while some of the players were stretching and preparing themselves for the game. I saw a familiar face among the crowd and I jogged up to him. He turned to face me.  
“Ah, hey there, Jenna.” My uncle Lawrence was tall and slender but didn’t look as old as he actually was. He was Lydia’s father and he owned the camp.  
“Sorry, I’m late.”  
“You’re not late. In fact, you are right on time,” he checked his watch. “But it seems like we have some stragglers still at the dining hall.”  
“I’m sure they won't be late.” I hoped. We walked closer to the painted line in the middle of the field that would separate the Python’s and the Viper’s territories.  
“Feeling confident, Captain Jenna?”  
“Very,” I answered confidently. Just as I said that Lydia came into view holding a bright red piece of fabric. We stopped in front of her. Lawrence pulled a bright blue flag from his bag that was strapped over his shoulder and handed it to me. I looked around and saw that the field was filling quickly with players. The referees and rangers were handing out blue and red bandanas to them so we could identify which team they were on. In the distance, I could see Jayden, Jaxon, and Liam getting their bandanas on. Liam gave me a thumbs up and I could hear Lydia scoff. I turned back and faced her with a smile. “Good luck, Lydia.”  
She didn’t say anything but Lawrence got a megaphone to his mouth and said, “Good morning Campers!” I flinched at the loud sound. “Are you ready for the last game of the summer?” Cheers erupted and applause broke out. Lawrence chuckled. “If you are a Python, make some noise!” To the right behind Lydia, the Python’s boomed and cheered. Lydia smirked. “If you are a Viper, let me hear you!” I turned to my team and saw chaos. I was so proud of them and the hard work it took to get to that moment. They were ready. “Alright alright! So here are the rules, listen up! Rule one: once you are tagged, you need to make your way to the sidelines. You all know where it is. We have cameras, referees, and rangers all over the property so we will know if you are cheating. Rule two: no fighting. I know you all are athletically inclined, but that does not mean that you can physically harm anyone. Rule three: Captains, don’t hide your flag under anything. That means no burying the flag. The flag must be in sight but still hidden.” I heard some groans in the distance. Lawrence turned back to us and lowered the megaphone. “Captains, shake hands.”  
Lydia stuck her hand out immediately and straight. I shook it firmly then handed over my bright blue flag temporarily to my cousin. She gave me her flag. That was it. We had prepared so hard for that moment. As I turned back to my team, my mind switched to game mode. We planned out exactly where I would hide our flag. Jax mentioned that the Python’s planned on focusing on offense for the game which meant that more of them were on our property. It was a risky tactic but we were already prepared for that to happen anyway. I checked my watch as I slowed to a stop near the hiding spot. Nine-twenty five, perfect. The Vipers had gone into position. I could hear footsteps approaching me and I turned to see some of my teammates. The three of them were our flag’s main protectors.  
“We are good to go, Jenna!” the tall boy named Harry gave me a thumbs up. I smiled and turned to where I was going to depart.  
“Don’t let us down boys.” I took off without a second to lose. I had to meet up with those who were going to cross the line. It took me about five minutes to get there as usual. Underneath a drooping pine tree that offered a small amount of concealment were the A team Vipers who would venture to the Python’s territory to retrieve the flag. Liam stood with his arms crossed but looked up at me when I ducked under the low hanging needles. Jayden paced impatiently while muttering to himself. There were others hanging out outside of the tree too. I had selected fifteen fast and courageous Vipers for the job and I hoped they all would find the flag and make it back to the Borderline before three o’clock. However, there was a stray thought in my head that made me think I would be disappointed if I didn’t retrieve the flag myself. I felt like it was my job to cross the line with the bright blue flag in hand as if it were the most important thing. I shook my head at the thought.  
“Is everyone where they are supposed to be?” I asked. I had planned to keep those three boys in direct contact with the flag at all times, but they were not the only ones to guard the flag. Throughout the Viper territory, they were spread out like a ‘V.’ The idea was to have the Pythons stuck in the middle of the ‘V’ as we pick them off one by one. Those closest to the Borderline have it the hardest since they are spread apart, but I trust our plan and I trust our team.  
“Yeah,” Jayden grunted. “It started.” The game always started at nine-thirty. All we had to do at that time was wait five minutes. The Pythons would charge at the Borderline since they could not see us on the field. As more people fill our territory, the easier it would be to cross over into the Python’s.  
It was silent except for a gentle breeze that rattled the leaves and branches and some animals and birds. I kept my eyes on the watch on my wrist. At nine-thirty four, my brother, best friend and I exited from underneath the pine tree to meet the others. We knew exactly where we were and where we were going. As we exited, three took off as planned. They were going to be a small diversion for the rest of us. As their footsteps slipped away, the rest of us got ready to sprint with me in the front watching the time.  
Nine-thirty five.  
We fanned out a little to give each other some space and to also make it seem like we weren’t a bigger target to see as we crossed the Borderline. We sprinted up the left side of our ‘V’ and ducked under low hanging branches and leaped over fallen trees and shrubs. The field came into sight before our feet landed in the grass. Over on the right side of the ‘V,’ I saw our three team distraction run around looking stupid as they dodged two large Pythons. I smiled to myself. This was working! We made it over the Borderline and into the treeline without being spotted but we kept pushing on. From there, we needed to have our eyes sharp for something bright blue. The Vipers split into their designated teams. Liam and Jay with me of course. They fell in step behind me about ten feet away. After about ten minutes, we had to stop to take a drink and catch our breath.  
“That went well,” Jay whispered with a smirk.  
“Oh, come on!”  
I jumped so hard I nearly dropped my small water bottle. Behind Jayden, I saw Jaxon with his hands on his knees and sweat on his forehead. He was not supposed to be there!  
“Jax! What the hell are you doing here? You are supposed to be near the flag!”  
I hushed them. “Shh! They might hear us!” We froze. I was infuriated! Jaxon was meant to go to the bottom of the ‘V’ nearest the flag to give Harry and the others some backup. He must have followed us, the rebel.  
After a minute of silence, Jax spoke up again. “Why are you guys here and not at the caves? It’s in that direction.” He pointed to his right. “I told you that was where the flag was!”  
Jayden smacked his arm. “Will you shut up?”  
I was about to silence them again when I heard, “I see some!” I spun on my toes and saw a large boy wearing a red t-shirt with a Python on it. Without really thinking about it, I ran in the direction Jaxon had pointed to hoping that my friends would follow me. I could hear shouts behind me, alerting others of our location. “It’s Jenna!” one said. “The Vipers! Get ‘em!”  
I weaved through the trees to try and shake them, but they were persistent. I saw some more Pythons as I ran and hoped that they didn’t see me and prayed that they wouldn’t join the chase when they heard the others shouting. To my right was a fast girl in red who matched my speed and was gaining on me and on my left, I saw a boy who was shouting for others to follow me. I picked up the pace a little and decided to make a drastic move. Ahead of me was the river. There was a small hill-like cliff over the bank of the river. I could hear the gushing water and knew I was getting close. Several of the trees were slanted over the river and some nearly made it to the other bank. It was a risky tactic to jump the river, but I was surrounded. The river came into view as well as a sturdy looking tree that nearly made it across the river, but it was steep and the landing would not look pretty.  
I started to panic but knew that I needed to follow through. My feet connected to the base of the fallen tree and I pushed myself up the trunk. I felt the burn in my legs from the effort. I nearly fell into the loud river a few times but I caught myself. I nearly screamed in the effort as I made it to the end of the tree. I put all my strength into my leap as my feet met the air. The bank of the river approached me faster than I thought it would and my feet couldn’t support me so I rolled. Some of the sharp rocks cut my face and back. I stopped rolling and I realized that I just jumped the river! I sat up slowly and panted. The sweat made my hair stick up in strange places and I pushed it back as I looked to see the Python’s in shock and awe at my actions. They didn’t dare to cross the river the way I did. I guess I was just lucky.  
I knew I wasn’t off the hook yet. I was still in Python territory. I stood and assessed myself for injuries. I seemed fine for that moment. I thought about Jax, Jay, and Liam. I wondered if they had gotten out of sight too. I ducked behind trees and ran downstream which would take me to the lake in about two miles. I thought about what Jaxon said earlier about how the Pythons planned on hiding the flag in the caves. The caves were near the lake! I didn’t see the harm in at least checking them out. If he was wrong, I could keep searching. If he was right, well, I think he deserves to be in my team next year!  
I didn’t see anyone; no Pythons and no Vipers. Being so close to the river made it hard to keep an ear out for people. I stopped for a second to check my watch and catch my breath. Ten-fifteen. We still had a long time before the end of the game but it still felt like I had been out in the woods for hours! I took a deep breath and walked out to the river to get a quick drink. From across the river, I saw two deer taking a drink as well. Beyond them, I saw a silhouette of a person and I ducked back into the trees. The person came closer to the deer but they didn’t seem too startled by his presence. The man emerged from the darkness of the trees. His long hair was in a low ponytail and his leather jacket hugged his chest snuggly. I could recognize him easily. Uncle Lawrence! I didn’t make a sound because I didn’t know if any Pythons were around. I just watched my uncle sneak passed the deer and crouch down to take a drink next to them. How did he do that? The deer weren’t scared by him! I was about to step forward when I heard a sudden snap from behind me.  
I whirled around and saw Liam there with his hands up in apology. His blond hair was wet from sweat and his eyes were wide. How did he get to this side of the river?  
“I have been following you for miles!” he whispered. “I saw you jump the river!”  
“You did?” I blushed. It felt embarrassing. I knew I landed bad. Shaking the thought away, I asked, “How did you get across the river?”  
He stood by me and offered me his half-empty water bottle. I took it and nearly drank all of it. “I’m not as crazy as you but I managed to go downstream a little to where the river narrowed and crossed on foot. My shoes are soaked and wet now!” I looked down and his black shoes were brown with mud and soggy with the water from the river. “But hey, at least we are back together!” He smiled a dazzling smile and I nearly choked on the water. “Where are your brothers?” He looked over his shoulder for them.  
“I don’t know. You are the only one I have seen since we split up.” I turned back to where Lawrence was but he and the deer were gone. I sighed. “I was planning on going to the lake and check out the caves.”  
Liam blinked. “Really? Do you think Jaxon was right?”  
I thought about it. “It’s possible. We might as well check it out. The lake is just a little further downstream.”  
“I guess we could, yeah. And maybe if Jay and Jax met up, that’s where they are heading too! We could meet them there!”  
We walked the rest of the way after filling up Liam’s water bottle from the river. If Jaxon was correct in his assumptions and the flag was in the caves, we needed to rest a little so we could sprint back to the Borderline. I could see the trees thinning out ahead as the sand became more prominent. Off to one side of the beach was the cave. Large rocks and cliffs bordered one side of the lake while the beach bordered the rest. Liam and I stayed close to the trees for coverage. There were three main caverns on the side of the cliff. One of them was submerged in water at the moment which left two small cave entrances to choose one. They were hidden behind some large boulders so we needed to squeeze behind them to get to the two entrances.  
“So, should we split up?”  
I shook my head. “No, we should stay together. If the flag really is in one of the caves, that means Lydia is too.” He understood what I meant. She was fast. We wouldn’t want her to trick us or anything. “How about this? I go in while you stay a few feet behind me and if I need help, I can call for you? And if it isn’t in this cave, we can try the other one?”  
He looked at me for a moment. “Are you sure? It could cave in or something. What will happen if you get tagged?”  
“I can dodge her,” I shrugged. “If I see her, I can call you to come and save me.” I blushed as soon as I said that. What was with me?  
“You got it,” he grinned. “Go get us a win, Captain.” He reached into his large pocket and fished out a small flashlight and clicked it on for me. I took it and turned into the cave.  
I had to stoop down a little so I wouldn’t hit my head. The sand and rocks under my feet were loud which definitely gave me away. The light from the outside got dimmer by the step. I had to move around large human-sized rocks. After a minute or so, I entered a larger part of the cavern where I could actually stand up straight. There was a beam of sunlight coming down through the roof of the cavern. I didn’t even know that this part of Snake Lake existed! The light was too dim for me to see all of it so I shined my flashlight on the walls. The entire cavern was about the size of a gymnasium! Several car-sized boulders littered the ground. Over on one wall, I could see another passageway. Could that have been the other cave entrance?  
I scanned the boulders with my flashlight and there! I saw the bright blue flag! A huge smile filled my face. Before remembering the plan and the potential threat of the Pythons, I ran up to the flag and snatched the flag off the boulder! I was overcome with triumph. Jaxon was right! I was about to run back to the entrance when I was knocked to my feet and pulled behind a boulder. I hand clamped down on my mouth. I turned as much as I could to see Jayden! I stopped struggling. Jaxon was next to him and he put a finger to his lips to make sure I was quiet. I nodded. I heard rapid footsteps from the other side of the boulder.  
“What!” Lydia yelled. “They have it? Where did they go?” She stormed off. Jaxon poked my arm and pointed to the second entrance. Did they come through that way? I nodded with Jayden. There were many large rocks to hide behind as we could sneak out. “I see you dropped your flashlight!” Lydia yelled as soon as we were about to make our move. “Oh, Liam. This is your flashlight. Are you in here?”  
I cringed. She was so loud! Liam would hear his name and come running in! As if to prove my point, I could hear loud wet shoes make their way inside of the cavern. “Jenna?” Liam’s voice sounded concerned but I knew that this was our only chance to make it out of the cave.  
“Hello, Liam!” Lydia sounded too excited to see him make his way into the cavern. “Did you say Jenna was here? Was she the one who took my flag?”  
We had to act now. I gripped the flag in my hand and nudged Jayden and Jaxon so that they would move. As soon as we stood, the gravel beneath our feet gave us away and a bright light was shone in my face. I turned sharply and leaped over some of the smaller boulders. I could tell Lydia was chasing me. I gripped the flag tighter and panic took over my body. I could feel her breath on my body. I tripped and rolled into a boulder.  
“Jenna!” Jayden yelled. I could hear the crunching of the gravel beneath his approaching feet. I scrambled to my feet but Lydia knocked me to the ground with the force of her charging body. The flag slipped out of my hand and flew off somewhere to my side.  
“Gotcha!” Lydia yelled. She pinned me to the ground and I couldn’t move. My foot was hurting real bad and I tried to readjust my eyesight. “You’re out cuz!” She started to get to her feet, leaving me on the ground trying to come to terms with what had happened. “Now where is that flag you dropped?” She looked around and screamed in alarm. I turned my head to the sound of more running feet. “Jaxon!”  
My eyes widened. Jaxon had scooped up the flag before Jayden did and they ran to the entrance closest to where Liam stood. The smallest of smiles graced my face. Jaxon did deserve to have this victory. All he had to do was get the flag to Viper territory and we would have our win! But I knew that Lydia could catch up to him in no time if she wasn’t distracted. Luckily, Liam had the same thought I had and he blocked off the exit that Jayden and Jaxon just left through.  
“Really?” Lydia sounded choked up. “I don’t want to get you out Liam, but I will if I have to!” She swiped her arm in the attempt to tag him but he stepped to the side in a nick of time. My cousin grunted and tried again and failed. He was too fast for her! He kept moving but kept the exit blocked.  
I was happy. For that one moment, I knew that we were going to win. My plan wasn’t a success but Jaxon would make it across the Borderline and he would make those who could not be there proud. I was happy. For that one moment, I was happy. Then I was not.  
It felt like something out of a movie and everything slowed down. The game had been so important to me but it seemed like everything had changed. I was still smiling when the first boulder fell next to my head and buried me in a thin layer of sand and gravel. My smile vanished when I saw a leather jacket and a brunette ponytail sitting on the boulder that held the blue flag. He smiled at me as the sky began to crumble and crash down around me.


End file.
